


The One I Was Meant To Find

by Rays



Series: Destiny Verse [3]
Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Light Angst, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 13:44:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17204459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rays/pseuds/Rays
Summary: Arielle comforts Eliot on a rough day and they are reminded of the importance of their friendship.Title comes from the song Rewrite The Stars





	The One I Was Meant To Find

**Author's Note:**

> I am forever intrigued by what Eliot and Arielle's relationship could have been and I just can't help trying to figure it out. I hope you enjoy!

Arielle’s long, elegant fingers could dance across the keys of a piano with the same graceful fluidity as a butterflies wings. They could dig through the dirt and make a garden grow big enough to feed her family. They threaded through the soft strains of her son’s hair and calmed any fear he might have. Her fingers could trail down her husband’s body and make him tremble in anticipation for more. Power came from Arielle’s hands in many ways, but none that had to do with magic.

No matter how many times Arielle would copy the hand moments Quentin and Eliot made, she could not get the same magical results. She didn’t know if it was because she wasn’t from Earth like they were, or because she just wasn’t magical. Neither seemed like a fair answer and her more competitive side wouldn’t let her give up on trying to make at least one spell work.

When nothing happened after nearly ten minutes of failed casting, she let her hands drop to her lap and her fingers clutched the material of her skirt. Arielle liked to think of her herself as someone who had grown mature enough to blow past her imperfections, but in reality, she was only getting harder on herself. Her fingers failed her and her garden was no closer to being warded off against the rabbits who had found her cabbage all too tempting.

“Eliot,” She said, trying to hold back a whine. “I could use your help.” Eliot was sitting in a chair next to mosaic and judging by the far-off look on his face, hadn’t heard her.

Earlier that morning, Quentin and Rupert left for a fishing trip that Quentin insisted was a traditional father and son bonding trip that he didn’t want to miss out on. Quentin also was going to show Rupert the basics to skipping rocks before a trip to the Silver Banks they were planning for when the temperature got a little warmer. Apparently, that was something special from the books Quentin had loved as a child and couldn’t wait to recreate the moment with his son. With the two of them gone, it left Arielle and Eliot to a rare day with each other.

It wasn’t by design that they had so little time for just the two of them. It was merely the result of the circumstances of being in love with the same man. While they did enjoy time all three together, time spent with just Quentin was more of a priority to both of them. Rupert came first as well, and time spent with their son was most important. Time set away just for each other was something that had been lacking for too long and Arielle had been looking forward to this day.

It wasn’t going as Arielle had imagined, however. Instead of laughter and gossip as was usual between them, Eliot had been sitting by the mosaic lost in his own thoughts while Arielle had worked in her garden. Tired of the strange silent treatment, Arielle knew she would have to be the one to break it. She loved both Eliot and Quentin with all her heart, but if it weren’t for her, neither of them would ever talk about their feelings.

“You’re looking very serious,” Arielle said, wiping her hands on her skirt before coming to stand behind Eliot. “Anything on your mind in particular?” She ran her fingers through his dark, wavy hair that was still warm from the sun and he turned his head to smile up at her.

“Just have been feeling a bit off,” he admitted more honestly than she had expected. “But I’m happy to be spending the day with you.” His eyes were soft and Arielle could feel all the tension from just a moment ago, melt away from her body. Eliot had that effect on people.

“So am I.” She wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head against his and for a moment they were cheek to cheek. “How about I make us some sandwiches and we have a picnic?” he pulled away and when he looked at her, Eliot’s eyes seemed to be golden in the sunlight.

“You’re an angel,” he said bringing his hand up to her cheek. “What would we do without you?” Arielle kissed his forehead before standing back upright and started walking toward the cottage.

“You two would be the same bickering, clueless, most adorable little messes you were when we first met” Eliot stood, stretching for a moment before following Arielle inside.

“How exactly is that different to us now?” he asked with a smirk.

“Well, now there’s a screaming child and me to cook all your meals,” Arielle said turning to face him. “But you two aren’t as clueless and I find the bickering charming.” Eliot smiled and pulled her in for a hug.

“You’re right,” he said. “It’s much better now.”

******************************************************

Half an hour later, Arielle and Eliot were finally laughing together as she had wanted. They were sitting under a tree in a clearing not far from the cottage that had become a favorite spot to get away. As they ate their lunch, Eliot told her stories from when he and Quentin were still at their old school, Brakebills. It was getting almost rare for either of them to tell her much about their lives back on Earth. A part of her wanted to know everything, but it seemed as time went on, it was harder for them to talk about to her.

“You should have seen his face!” Eliot said through his laughter. “He actually looked like he believed he was supposed to blow a horse.” Arielle was laughing so hard her sides began to hurt. Eliot was telling her a story about Quentin completing a series of tests called _The Trials_. Eliot told it a little differently than she heard before and Arielle could almost see it in her mind. Quentin’s poor, confused little face, with the horse that he so proudly told her he caught and passed that part of the trials with ease.

“He probably would have agreed,” Arielle laughed.

“That’s what we thought!” Eliot exclaimed. “God, it was all Margo’s idea.” His face changed when he said her name and his laughter tapered off to a soft chuckle. He sagged back against the trunk of the tree as if the weight of the memory was suddenly pressing him down.

It had been a while since he’d talked about Margo. It was even longer that Quentin mentioned her or Julia, who never seemed to be far from his thoughts. Arielle never knew how much she should push the two of them to talk about their other life or their friends. She could at times see how painful it was to be separated from them and always felt like she shouldn’t pry.

If she was honest with herself, she was afraid to know the real depth of their feelings for them. Unsure of how she would fit into their world and in their strange family, Arielle felt almost haunted by all of them. Those thoughts were kept that to herself though, her more selfish and insecure feelings. She didn’t want them to know her imperfections weren’t just that she couldn’t do magic.

“Eliot,” Arielle said softly. “Do you want to talk about her?” When his eyes turned back to meet hers, they shone brightly with tears.

“It’s her birthday today,” he said. Now it made sense, the way Eliot had been acting. Anger at Quentin bubbled up inside her before she could question it.

“And Quentin planned to be away from you today?” His fishing trip wasn’t a spur of the moment idea, he had planned it for weeks. He had to know what today was and she couldn’t believe he would just leave Eliot when he needed him. “I am going to kick his-”

“It’s alright,” Eliot said quickly and placed a hand on her arm. “We agreed that this would be the best way for us to spend the day, but I do appreciate you wanting to defend my honor.” He finally smiled again and the anger Arielle felt was gone as quickly as it had come.

“Of course I would,” she said taking his hand and placing it into her lap. “Why would you two not want to be with each other today?” She could understand them not coming to her to talk about their past, but why they couldn’t talk to each other was beyond her understanding.

“We got in a fight last year,” Eliot said and Arielle remembered. A quiet morning interrupted by the two of them shouting at each other, both accusing the other of various grievances that they all knew had nothing to do with the actual source of the fight. She took Rupert on a trip to the village so the two of them work it out and when they returned, they were curled up together in bed, clinging to each other. “I think he just wanted to leave me alone this year.” His eyes turned away and Arielle squeezed his hand.

“Well, he left you with me.” Arielle reminded him. “So you are not alone.” That made Eliot smile and she grinned at the victory.

“I had a dream about you last night,” he said raising an eyebrow at her and she scooted herself closer to him.

“Do tell,” She wasn’t sure if he was trying to change the subject and she should steer him back to the real heart of his emotions, but she couldn’t help but to jump onto the more playful tone he was projecting.

“I was trapped, someplace dark and I was all alone,” Eliot started. “And no one knew where I was; no one knew I was even missing. Not even Quentin.” Arielle blinked, a feeling of dread and worry creeping into her as she tried to imagine what he was describing.

“Okay,” Arielle said with a bit of a frown. “This isn’t as fun as I thought it would be.” To her surprise, Eliot smiled and put his arm around her.

“But then you came,” he said. “You found me in the dark and told me everything would be fine. I laid my head on your lap and we waited together for Q to save me.”

“Did he?” she asked gazing up at him.

“I don’t know, I woke up before that,” he said with a shrug. “So, I think you saved me.” Arielle smiled and snuggled closer into his side.

“That’s good,” she said. “I never get to be the hero.” Eliot leaned his head against hers for a moment before pulling back and kissing her on the forehead.

“That is definitely not true,” he said then pulled his arm back and his attention was back on his food.

After sitting in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, a gust of wind blew through the clearing and rustled the leaves above them. The wind still had a bit of a chill to it but Arielle was glad they were finally seeing the end of winter. It had been a harsh one that kept them locked inside for most of it. Quentin and Eliot lost a lot of time on the mosaic and that never did well for Quentin's nerves especially. They had all been going a little stir crazy by the time the snow finally melted and they were able to make it outside.

“Do you think Quentin and Rupert are having a good time?” Arielle asked. She wanted to press him more about Margo, but she knew Eliot. If she pushed, he’d resist twice as hard and she’d get nowhere expect him angry at her.

“Oh yeah,” Eliot said with a soft smile. “This is just what Rupert needs too; he’s been climbing the walls lately.” Arielle laughed, Rupert had more energy than any child she had ever met. When he finally figured out how to walk, he was running the next day. Once he’d started talking, it was non stop. His imagination was also bigger than his tiny little body could contain it seemed. He was always drawing and coming up with stories so he could be just like Quentin.

“He’ll sleep good tonight,” Arielle said and Eliot’s eyes widened a little at the excitement of that thought.

“Let’s hope he does,” he said letting his head fall back against the tree and Arielle could see it. The moment his thoughts went back to what day it was and a cloud seemed to pass over his face. She slipped her hand into his and the contact seemed to be enough because his eyes closed and he took a deep breath. “I miss Margo.” His voice was barely above a whisper and he opened his eyes to met her gaze.

“I know,” Arielle tightened her fingers around his as if she could transfer his pain into her through her touch. She offered no words of comfort or advice since Arielle had learned ago, there were some things in life so painful that words could never soothe.

“I miss her every day,” Eliot said a little stronger now. “I keep thinking it will stop, but it doesn’t and I just-” he trailed off, his eyes leaving hers and staring off for a moment he seemed trapped in some memory. Arielle didn’t say anything, but she squeezed his hand to remind him that she was there.

“Some days it just hits me how long it’s been since I’ve seen her.” he finally said, his eyes coming back to her and he smiled a little like he was embarrassed. She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around one of his and settling into his side. He leaned his head down on top of her’s and she could feel him relax.

“You should talk to Quentin,” She said. Fight last year or not, the only other person in all of Fillory who could understand how he felt was Quentin.

“Quentin needs me to be strong,” he said and Arielle pulled away enough so she could look up at him. She waited until his eyes met hers so she knew she had his attention.

“Quentin needs you to be _honest_ ,” She reminded him. “And don’t forget, you have _me_ to be strong for you.” Eliot smiled now, a real genuine smile that finally reached his eyes and he pulled her close, so she was tucked under his chin for a moment.

“I know,” he said and she smiled against his neck, she could feel his steady pulse against her cheek. “Did you ever imagine that _this_ is where your life would have ended up?” The question caught her off guard and Arielle pulled back so they were face to face again.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You know,” he said, his hand came up and swept his hair out of his eyes and he bit his lip as he thought of how to expand on his thoughts. “Like me and Q, did you want all this?” He gestured with his hands as if the beautiful surroundings were some consolation prize she had been stuck with.

“Do you mean,” she said laughing lightly. “When I was a little girl did I dream that someday I would have a family that included my husband’s boyfriend?” She wasn’t blind; she knew what Eliot was really wanted to know right now. Would they be happier without each other and have Quentin all for themselves? It was that unspoken question they ignored for the most part.

“Yeah,” he said. “Did you want to live on a farm like your family? Or move somewhere else instead of being stuck here while we do this puzzle?”

Planning ahead had never been Arielle’s strong suit. She grew up with the knowledge that she didn’t have to worry about taking over the family farm someday because her that was her brother's job. Her parents never pressured her into marriage and children either; her two sisters were much more excited about all that than she had been. Her future had always been this wide open space and the limitless of possibilities always left her paralyzed. Arielle liked to live for the moment she was in, not to worry about what was coming.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I didn’t care where I lived, and I’m sure I thought I would marry someday and have kids, but I could never have planned for you.” He smiled and brushed the hair that the wind had blown into her face away, his touch was gentle and soft over her skin. His eyes looked into as if trying to spot a speck of unhappiness in her that was somehow his fault.

“I could never have planned for you either,” he said, his palm cupping her jaw. She leaned into his touch for a moment before his hand dropped back down. He picked at the last of his food and Arielle could feel the door closing on his honesty and now was the time she could ask him as well.

“Do you ever wish it was different?” she asked. “That you were back in your time, with your friends..with Margo?” When he looked at her, she was momentarily comforted by the disbelief she saw in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. With a sigh, he pulled her body back his and they settled comfortably against the tree with his arms wrapped around her.

“I wish things were different all the time,” he admitted. “But if it meant not having you and Rupert in my life then I don’t want it.” Arielle smiled, she knew in her heart his words were true but hearing them out loud set her at ease.

“Besides,” Eliot went on. “If we had never come here, Quentin would never have-you know, been with me.” Arielle frowned at him. She knew how much, and for how long Quentin had been in love with Eliot. Them being in their time and not together was something Arielle couldn’t imagine.

“Why do you say that?” she asked and Eliot shrugged.

“Because it was different there," he tried to explain. “He never would have even considered it, not with Alice and Julia and...” Eliot trailed off and Arielle could see the darkness start to settle back onto his face.

“Hey,” she said sternly and Eliot’s eyes snapped to her face. “All these _what if’s_ and _could have been’s_ don’t matter. What matters is what we have here today.” Eliot looked unsure for a moment and her hand came to rest on his cheek.

“Somehow, against all logic, we were brought together across worlds and decades.” She reminded him. “We are exactly where we’re supposed to be and loving each other in the most perfect way.” Eliot's eyes filled with tears but the smile on his face was warm and she could almost feel his doubts melting away. Nodding, he brought his face close to her's and he kissed her, soft and slower than he normally did. It wasn't romantic, but it was full of love in it's purest form and Arielle felt like maybe she was glowing.

“I love you,” he said when he pulled away. “I really love you.” He clarified himself, almost like he felt like she wouldn't believe him otherwise. Smiling, she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“I know,” she assured him. “I really love you too.” Arielle closed her eyes, the breeze for a moment feeling warmer. She found herself not caring that she couldn't do magic because she remembered that her part in this family wasn't about that. Arielle was here to remind them that together is where they belonged. She knew that together they could conquer anything, even the beauty of all life.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!!


End file.
